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Man accused of killing 16yo girl found in barrel to stand trial for murder
Mentions: Larissa Beilby Publication: ABC News (Australia) Date: 27 November 2019 (updated 28 November 2019) Author: Kate McKenna Original: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-27/zlatko-sikorsky-court-larissa-beilby/11741592 ---- A man has been committed to stand trial over the murder of 16-year-old Larissa Beilby, more than a year after her body was found inside a barrel on the back of a ute on Queensland's Gold Coast. Zlatko Sikorsky, 36, will also face trial on charges of interference with a corpse, torture and deprivation of liberty. Mr Sikorsky is accused of murdering Ms Beilby at a property at Buccan, south of Brisbane, on June 23, 2018, before stuffing her body inside a barrel on the back of a ute, later found abandoned at Stapylton. During the two-day committal hearing, a friend of Ms Beilby told the court they had socialised and taken drugs, including "fantasy", with the teenager's alleged killer in the weeks before her death. Rachelle Pilon testified she and Ms Beilby had shared an ice pipe and also tried the drug fantasy while hanging out with Mr Sikorsky in early June 2018. Ms Pilon gave evidence that while in an elevator with Mr Sirkorsky she told him he should not be in contact with Ms Beilby. She said she then spotted a gun inside his jacket and apologised. "We smoked ice, fantasy — he did me up a dose fantasy more than the previous night," Ms Pilon said. "He said it was different stuff and weaker but because of the incident in the elevator, I was intimidated so I had it." During cross-examination, Mr Sikorsky's barrister Tim Ryan questioned why, if she was so intimidated by Mr Sikorsky, had she not asked him to leave. He also accused her of making up parts of her evidence. The court later heard from Chantelle Maker, who had been with Mr Sikorsky when he allegedly stole a ute. She also testified Ms Beilby had been covered in bruises "head to toe" in the lead-up to her death and recalled giving her "ice" to "stay awake so she could stay alive". She said, at the time, she had no idea of Ms Beilby's actual age. Mr Ryan questioned why she never bothered to pick up the phone and call police about the injuries. "She Larissa didn't want me to … and I thought she was over the age of 18 at the time so I thought she could make her own choices," Ms Maker said. Ms Maker also told the court she was "petrified" of Mr Sikorsky and that he'd assaulted her before. "If police didn't get him, he would have got me," she said. "He had Teflon bullets and told me he could shoot me no matter where, they could go through armour, he told me." Mr Sikorsky will face trial in the Supreme Court at a date to be fixed. Asked whether he wished to say anything, Mr Sikorsky replied: "No, Your Honour". Category:Nov 2019 Category:ABC News (Australia)